K-dramas based on true stories that blur the lines between fact and fiction (2024)

1 /10

IMDb rating: 8
Synopsis: The mother of a former UDT (underwater demolition team) official turned taxi driver was murdered by a serial killer. As he’s driving a German reporter from Seoul to Gwangju to cover an uprising, he finds himself in the middle of mayhem. Also important? The taxi company, which offers a ‘revenge-call’ service. Of all the cases the protagonist tackles in this Kdrama, most are based on real life. For instance, the Cho Doo Soon case in the first few episodes talks about a child rapist who was released from prison, much to the chagrin of South Korean citizens.

2 /10

IMDb rating: 8.2
Synopsis: Noblewoman Chae-kyung marries the crown prince. And when he becomes the king, she is appointed Queen Dangyeong. However, after just a week of being in her new role, a conspiracy causes her to be expelled from the palace. According to multiple sources, this story is based on the tragic life of Queen Dangyeong — who was invested as queen for seven days before officials in the court accused her father of treason and had him killed. She was then deposed as queen and exiled to Mt. Inwang, where she spent the rest of her life without a partner or children.

3 /10

IMDb rating: 7.6
Synopsis: It’s love at first sight for playwright Kim Woo-jin and music student Yun Sim-deok. However, due to the events following the Japanese occupation of Korea, they were separated. Years later they cross paths, with the former being married. However, feelings remain unchanged, leading to an affair. This is based on the popular couple Yun Sim-deok and Kim Woo-jin — who lived in Japan and Korea in the colonial period of the 1920s.

4 /10

IMDb rating: 8
Synopsis: After the death of his father, Prince Sammaekjong is kept hidden from enemies by his mother. This is in an attempt to safeguard his life until he’s of age to ascend the throne. However, as threats continue to loom, she creates an elite group of male youths called Hwarang. This is based on the elite male warrior group in the ancient kingdom of Silia in Korea — which existed until the late 10th century.

5 /10

IMDb rating: 8.1
Synopsis: Friends navigate the ups and downs of life. This includes former taekwondo player turned MMA fighter Ko Dong-man and department store worker Cho Ae-ra who aims to be a television anchor. The two discover their feelings for each other through a series of heartwarming, hilarious moments. This — the writer Im Chang Soon noted — is based loosely on the life of mixed martial artist Choo Sung Hoon and his wife, Yano Shiho. Reportedly, he was inspired to delve into the lives of professional fighters when he saw Shihi crying while watching her husband in a match.

6 /10

IMDb rating: 9.1
Synopsis: Five friends and families live in the same neighbourhood. Each of them has a distinct personality – however, they all spend time watching movies together, having sleepovers, fighting and making up, and engaging in banter. Of them all, Park Bo Gum’s role as Choi Taek was inspired by Lee Chang Ho — a Baduk player who won several local and international tournaments.

7 /10

IMDb rating: 8.5
Synopsis: A police lieutenant and expert criminal profiler witnessed his friend being kidnapped as a child, only to find him murdered later. Despite informing the police, the case remained unsolved. Years later, he discovers a walkie-talkie with a portal to the past, working with an experienced detective on the other side to uncover the culprit. Reportedly, the story is based on real-life crime sprees in Gyeonggi province, including the Park Chorong Bitnari kidnapping case and a Hwasong murder case where 10 women were raped and murdered.

8 /10

IMDb rating: 8.5
Synopsis: Once released from prison, an ex-convict has to look after his nephew with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Believing it to be an easy task initially, he soon realises that there’s more to the trauma cleaning business (that his family engages in) than he’d accounted for. This Kdrama is believed to be based on a true story told through a nonfiction essay titled Things Left Behind by Kim Sae-byul, a South Korean trauma cleaner. These professionals respond to traumatic events to safely clear out bodily fluids and other infectious, harmful materials from a property. The writer once noted that he’d cleaned the house of a man in his 70s who’d died alone and was only found weeks later. This setting, quite exactly, was featured in the series.

9 /10

10 /10

IMDb rating: 8.4
Synopsis: A woman born in Korea goes on to become a powerful empress in China’s Yuan dynasty. Along the way, she tackles complications such as politics, war, and loyalties. This is while discovering love. The Kdrama is reportedly based on the true story of a person who was born in Korea during the Goryeo rule in the bottommost rank of the society and was sent as tribute to the Yuan dynasty. As time passed, she became a high-ranking empress.